


infidelity

by seekingtomorrow



Series: Let's Play Pretend [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-05
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-22 13:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/913858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekingtomorrow/pseuds/seekingtomorrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't that Mikasa didn't love Jean; it was just that she liked Corporal Levi a tiny bit more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	infidelity

"You're going already?"

Mikasa turned around, her previously-crisp button down shirt hanging off the slope of her shoulder. "I didn't know you were awake."

Levi put his hands behind his head and leaned against his pillow. "You started moving around, so I woke up."

Mikasa shrugged her shirt on and began doing up the buttons. "I should go," she said. "Jean's probably looking for me."

Levi reached over to the bedside table and pulled out a carton of smokes. Pulling one out, he offered the box to Mikasa.

She frowned. "I'm not smoking in your bed after having sex with you. Besides, I'm going to get ash on the sheets and you're going to freak out again."

Levi grabbed a crystal ashtray off his table and dropped it onto the space between them. The heavy crystal weighed down on the maroon sheets, creasing it.

"Jean doesn't like the smell of smoke," Mikasa reasoned. "He thinks it's bad for me." Her last words echoed, carrying more meaning than just a particular person's disgust for the scent of tobacco.

"It is bad for you." Levi agreed, twirling a cigarette between his fingers. "A lot of things are bad for you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do them." He lit the tip of it.

"Are we still talking about cigarettes here?" Mikasa asked drily. She leaned over the side of the bed, searching for her pants.

"They're underneath the bed," said Levi without even looking at Mikasa. "And yes, I was still talking about cigarettes. Unless you think I'm talking about something else."

Mikasa paused in her search. Sighing, she flopped back against the bed and held her hand out. Wordlessly, Levi handed his smoke to her. She took a deep drag.

"I thought you said you weren't going to do it," said Levi tonelessly.

"I've said a lot of things," replied Mikasa. "And I didn't mean half of them."

"Like the time you said you loved Jean."

"Nope," said Mikasa, running a hand through her tangled hair. Levi had a penchant for pulling on it. "I meant that."

"Past tense." Levi blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Sorry?"

"Past tense," he repeated. "You don't love him anymore?"

"I never said that."

Levi glanced at Mikasa shrewdly. "You know, you're probably the most loyal person I've ever met."

Mikasa didn't answer, trying to do up the last of her buttons with shaking hands.

"Besides the fact that you're sleeping with me behind your boyfriend's back, you're incredibly loyal. To everyone that you care about, that is."

"I don't know what you're trying to get at, so you better make your point," snapped Mikasa.

"Basically," Levi folded the sheets neatly around his bare chest, "I don't think you really care about Jean, let alone love him."

"Stop it," whispered Mikasa.

"You love Eren and your loyalty to him is almost blind. You're willing to do anything for him."

"Stop."

"Armin is your childhood friend and very precious to you. You'd never betray him."

"Stop talking."

"You even cherish someone like Sasha and wouldn't do anything do purposely hurt her."

"I don't want to hear this, Levi."

"And me," he said with flourish.

"You?" Mikasa's voice was a harsh whisper. "What makes you think I care one iota for you?"

"Well, you clearly aren't in this just for the sex."

Mikasa's face turned an admirable shade of red.

"I mean, even I could tell you were faking. Typically, people don't actually scream 'OH GOD YES' at the top of their lungs when—"

"Okay, I get it!" Mikasa interrupted, waving her hands in the air wildly. "But that doesn't mean anything. Maybe I'm sleeping with you to get a promotion. You are a very influential officer."

"I doubt it," Levi said. "You could easily get a promotion without having to… _persuade_ me. You're a prodigy."

"So that's your reasoning as to why I care about you?" Mikasa stretched her legs out on the huge bed, staring up at the white ceiling. "Because I'm not averse to having terrible sex with you?"

"Okay, 'terrible' is harsh," said Levi. He crushed the butt of the cigarette in the ashtray and placed it back onto the laminate wood nightstand. "But yes, I do imagine it's somewhere along those lines."

"That's terrible reasoning," said Mikasa. "Your logic makes no sense. Did you sleep with your superiors to become a higher-up or something?"

Levi chuckled. "No, but Irvin Smith is undoubtedly a very handsome man."

"You've got that right," agreed Mikasa.

The two laughed and fell into a companionable silence. Levi lit up another cigarette, sharing it between the two of them. After a few failed attempts at trying to blow smoke rings, they gave up. Eventually, morning seeped into afternoon, and Mikasa still found herself unable to leave.

"Eren is still going on about destroying the Titans, you know." Mikasa said to Levi, digging her hand into a bowl of popcorn. After much pleading, Levi had finally relented and let Mikasa eat in his bed.

"Are you still concerned about him?" Levi grudgingly grabbed a handful from her.

"I'm always concerned about him," said Mikasa. "But this time, he's serious about it. He's put a police radio in every room of our home. I won't let him keep a real gun by his bed, so he's taken to pasting targets all over the house and practicing like he's in a spy movie."

"That sounds exactly like something Eren would do. Have you talked about this to Jean?"

Mikasa flinched at the mention of her boyfriend's name, the pleasant mood dissipating fast. "We haven't really talked about it. Jean's really concerned about his own training so I thought I shouldn't bother him with this."

"Maybe you should talk about it with him."

Mikasa shook her head. "Him and Eren don't really see eye-to-eye. If I told him, he'd take it as a joke and just use it as ammunition in their arguments."

"Do they fight a lot?" Levi asked through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Enough for it to get on my nerves," replied Mikasa.

"I wouldn't fight with Eren."

"That's because Eren's terrified of you," said Mikasa, matter-of-fact. "He still sleeps with a night light sometimes."

Levi scoffed. "And that's exactly the type of reaction I want to inspire in my juniors."

Mikasa leaned in close. "You don't frighten me," she said, plucking a piece of popcorn from Levi's hand.

"That's because you're not afraid of anything."

Mikasa frowned. "I'm afraid of a lot of things."

"Like?"

"Like Eren getting hurt. Or Armin thinking he isn't good enough." She looked at Levi with a wounded expression. "And what Jean will think of me if he ever finds out about us."

A muscle jumped in Levi's jaw. "Maybe if you're so afraid of what your boyfriend will think of you if he learns about us, you should stop seeing me."

Mikasa didn't reply, scratching at a spot of grease on the bedspread. "You should probably wash the sheets after I leave."

"Mikasa," said Levi warningly. "Don't change the subject. If you are so worried about Jean, don't see me. It's really that simple."

"And what if I don't want to stop," said Mikasa daringly.

Levi caressed her cheek and sighed. "Then choose me."

"It's not that simple."

"It can be."

"What about Jean?"

"And what about him?"

Mikasa pushed Levi's wandering hands off her body. "I should go," she said, not looking at him.

Levi leaned back into the pillows. "Yeah, maybe you should." He lit up another cigarette.

"I'll see you around, then?" She asked, awkwardly.

"Maybe," he replied.

Pulling her pants up her legs, Mikasa stepped into her shoes and tossed her coat over her shoulder. "I'll see you later."

Levi waved, already distracted by the television.

Mikasa stood, one hand on the doorknob. "Goodbye, Levi." Her tone held a finality that she never thought possible.

"Bye, Ackerman," he said.

Without hesitation, Mikasa left Levi.

And it did feel a lot like goodbye.

Then again, thought Mikasa, it probably was the best course of action.


End file.
